The spatial evolution-institution link and its challenges for regional policy

Publications: Contribution to journalArticlePeer Reviewed

Abstract

Contemporary economic geography acknowledges that regional economies develop in evolutionary processes, and that institutions matter in this process. Evolutionary dynamics have been classified into six types of path development (path extension, path branching, path diversification, path creation, path importation, and path upgrading) that serve to distinguish how precisely regional economies diversify or upgrade. Shaping these evolutionary dynamics is a major objective policymakers aim to achieve by applying regional policies with an evolutionary ambition such as smart specialization. However, there is a gap in understanding how the specific institutional arrangements found in regional economies condition these different types of path development. The article links path development to institutional context and identifies policy challenges for affecting evolutionary dynamics under the smart specialization approach.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2428-2446
Number of pages19
JournalEuropean Planning Studies
Volume28
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

  • 507026 Economic geography
  • 507014 Regional development

Keywords

  • EU cohesion policy
  • evolutionary economic geography
  • institutions
  • Regional development
  • smart specialization

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The spatial evolution-institution link and its challenges for regional policy'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this